# US 12,109,877 B2 · Vehicle lid opening/closing device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,109,877 B2 - Document ID: US12109877B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/977,431 - Filed: 2022-10-31 - Published: 2023-05-04 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2021-11-03 - Assignees: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Kenichiro Kaneko - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12109877B2 ## CPC - B60K 15/05: Inlet covers - B60K 2015/053: {with hinged connection to the vehicle body} - B60K 2015/0576: {with actuator fixed to the vehicle body} - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A vehicle lid opening/closing device includes: a base portion mounted on a vehicle body; an opening exposing a supply port for supplying energy to a vehicle; a lid closing the opening; and a link mechanism opening/closing the lid between predetermined closed and opened positions. The link mechanism includes first and second arms each rotatably supported at one end portion thereof by the base portion and at another end portion thereof by the lid. The second arm rotates in synchronization with rotation of the first arm and is positionable in a rotation trajectory of the first arm when seen in a thrust direction. The first and second arms respectively have overlap portions overlapping each other in the thrust direction at the lid opened position, and stopper portions coming into contact with each other in a rotation direction at the lid opened position to restrict further opening of the lid. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle lid opening/closing device comprising: a base portion mounted on a vehicle body; an opening provided in the base portion and configured to expose a supply port for supplying energy to a vehicle; a lid configured to close the opening; and a link mechanism configured to open/close the lid between a predetermined closed position at which the opening is closed and a predetermined opened position at which the opening is opened, wherein the link mechanism includes a first arm rotatably supported at one end portion thereof by the base portion and rotatably supported at another end portion thereof by the lid, and a second arm rotatably supported at one end portion thereof by the base portion, rotatably supported at another end portion thereof by the lid, configured to rotate in synchronization with rotation of the first arm, and positionable in a rotation trajectory of the first arm when seen in a thrust direction, the first arm and the second arm respectively have overlap portions configured to overlap each other in the thrust direction at the predetermined opened position of the lid, and stopper portions configured to come into contact with each other in a rotation direction at the predetermined opened position of the lid to restrict further opening of the lid, the overlap portions of the first arm and the second arm face each other in the thrust direction at a predetermined distance or shorter at the predetermined opened position of the lid, and at least one of the first arm and the second arm has a guide portion configured to guide the overlap portions of the first arm and the second arm from a state where the overlap portions do not face each other in the thrust direction to a state where the overlap portions face each other in the thrust direction, during opening of the lid. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle lid opening/closing device according to claim 1, wherein the base portion has a positioning portion configured to come into contact with the first arm or the second arm at the predetermined opened position of the lid to position the first arm or the second arm. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vehicle lid opening/closing device according to claim 2, wherein the positioning portion has a first positioning portion configured to position the first arm or the second arm in the rotation direction, and a second positioning portion configured to position the first arm or the second arm in the thrust direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle lid opening/closing device according to claim 1, further comprising: an electric actuator, and a drive mechanism comprising at least one link, wherein the drive mechanism is configured to transmit a driving force from the electric actuator to the link mechanism. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vehicle lid opening/closing device according to claim 1, wherein the lid is maintained parallel to a face of the opening during rotation of the first arm and the second arm. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicle lid opening/closing device according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the first arm in the thrust direction is greater than a thickness of the second arm in the thrust direction. ### Claim 7 A vehicle lid opening/closing device comprising: a base portion mounted on a vehicle body; an opening provided in the base portion and configured to expose a supply port for supplying energy to a vehicle; a lid configured to close the opening; and a link mechanism configured to open/close the lid between a predetermined closed position at which the opening is closed and a predetermined opened position at which the opening is opened, wherein the link mechanism includes a first arm rotatably supported at one end portion thereof by the base portion and rotatably supported at another end portion thereof by the lid, and a second arm rotatably supported at one end portion thereof by the base portion, rotatably supported at another end portion thereof by the lid, configured to rotate in synchronization with rotation of the first arm, and positionable in a rotation trajectory of the first arm when seen in a thrust direction, the first arm and the second arm respectively have overlap portions configured to overlap each other in the thrust direction at the predetermined opened position of the lid, and stopper portions configured to come into contact with each other in a rotation direction at the predetermined opened position of the lid to restrict further opening of the lid, and the base portion has a positioning portion configured to come into contact with the first arm or the second arm at the predetermined opened position of the lid to position the first arm or the second arm. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The vehicle lid opening/closing device according to claim 7, wherein the overlap portions of the first arm and the second arm face each other in the thrust direction at a predetermined distance or shorter at the predetermined opened position of the lid. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The vehicle lid opening/closing device according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the first arm and the second arm has a guide portion configured to guide the overlap portions of the first arm and the second arm from a state where the overlap portions do not face each other in the thrust direction to a state where the overlap portions face each other in the thrust direction, during opening of the lid. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The vehicle lid opening/closing device according to claim 7, further comprising: an electric actuator, and a drive mechanism comprising at least one link, wherein the drive mechanism is configured to transmit a driving force from the electric actuator to the link mechanism. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The vehicle lid opening/closing device according to claim 7, wherein the lid is maintained parallel to a face of the opening during rotation of the first arm and the second arm. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The vehicle lid opening/closing device according to claim 7, wherein a thickness of the first arm in the thrust direction is greater than a thickness of the second arm in the thrust direction. ### Claim 13 A vehicle lid opening/closing device comprising: a base portion mounted on a vehicle body: an opening provided in the base portion and configured to expose a supply port for supplying energy to a vehicle; a lid configured to close the opening; and a link mechanism configured to open/close the lid between a predetermined closed position at which the opening is closed and a predetermined opened position at which the opening is opened, wherein the link mechanism includes a first arm rotatably supported at one end portion thereof by the base portion and rotatably supported at another end portion thereof by the lid, and a second arm rotatably supported at one end portion thereof by the base portion, rotatably supported at another end portion thereof by the lid, configured to rotate in synchronization with rotation of the first arm, and positionable in a rotation trajectory of the first arm when seen in a thrust direction, the first arm and the second arm respectively have overlap portions configured to overlap each other in the thrust direction at the predetermined opened position of the lid, and stopper portions configured to come into contact with each other in a rotation direction at the predetermined opened position of the lid to restrict further opening of the lid, the base portion has a positioning portion configured to come into contact with the first arm or the second arm at the predetermined opened position of the lid to position the first arm or the second arm, and the positioning portion has a first positioning portion configured to position the first arm or the second arm in the rotation direction, and a second positioning portion configured to position the first arm or the second arm in the thrust direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The vehicle lid opening/closing device according to claim 13, wherein the overlap portions of the first arm and the second arm face each other in the thrust direction at a predetermined distance or shorter at the predetermined opened position of the lid. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The vehicle lid opening/closing device according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the first arm and the second arm has a guide portion configured to guide the overlap portions of the first arm and the second arm from a state where the overlap portions do not face each other in the thrust direction to a state where the overlap portions face each other in the thrust direction, during opening of the lid. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The vehicle lid opening/closing device according to claim 13, further comprising: an electric actuator, and a drive mechanism comprising at least one link, wherein the drive mechanism is configured to transmit a driving force from the electric actuator to the link mechanism. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The vehicle lid opening/closing device according to claim 13, wherein the lid is maintained parallel to a face of the opening during rotation of the first arm and the second arm. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The vehicle lid opening/closing device according to claim 13, wherein a thickness of the first arm in the thrust direction is greater than a thickness of the second arm in the thrust direction.